German lawmakers condemn Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor, call for urgent reopening

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. German lawmakers have called for an immediate reopening of the Lachin Corridor, which has been blocked by Azerbaijan for nearly 8 months, resulting in a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The Lachin Corridor must be opened,” Member of the Bundestag Renata Alt (FDP) tweeted. “The fact that even the transfer of humanitarian aid by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh has become impossible is unacceptable. It is necessary to pressure Azerbaijan so that the situation doesn’t escalate,” Alt, the chairwoman of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid added.

Robin Wagener, a Member of the Bundestag and Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with the Southern Caucasus, the Republic of Moldova and Central Asia at theFederal Foreign Officeof Germany said that he is following the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with deep concern. “All actions must be based on the welfare of the local population, and we must be guided by this. This includes the guarantee of uninterrupted and safe routes of transport of persons and goods, including of Lachin Corridor,” Wagener, who heads the Bundestag delegation to the OSCE PA, tweeted.

Member of the Bundestag Merle Spellerberg, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and rapporteur on South Caucasus of the Alliance 90/The Greens faction, underscored that "any blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan must immediately end."

"Human lives cannot become geopolitical levers,” Spellerberg added.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps in Armenia visited on Friday the village of Kornidzor in the Syunik Province where an Armenian humanitarian convoy carrying emergency food and medical aid to Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked by Azerbaijan at the entrance of Lachin Corridor for the second day.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno-Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 25, the Government of Armenia said that it will try to send over 360 tons of flour, cooking oil, sugar, and other foodstuffs and medication to Nagorno-Karabakh to mitigate the humanitarian crisis resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor. Armenia requested the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to escort the aid. Armenia has also requested Azerbaijan to not obstruct the convoy.

On Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol PashinyansaidAzerbaijan would only corroborate Armenia’s fears that Baku seeks to commit genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh if the convoy gets blocked.